Feeling the Data: Haptics as Information Media in Immersive Environments

Feeling the Data: Haptics as Information Media in Immersive Environments

Ali Israr, ViiVAI Labs and Studio

Abstract:
In the age of information, users are exposed to an unprecedented volume of digital content. To effectively assimilate, store, and retrieve relevant information, emerging technologies now enable more natural and intuitive interaction with digital media, enhancing both efficiency and immersion. In this talk, I will present recent work on multichannel and multidimensional haptic displays that augment user experience—allowing users to feel stories through semantic cues in natural language, manipulate virtual objects with varying compliance and dynamic properties, and mitigate cybersickness through spatial haptics applied to the body. Haptic feedback not only extends the communication bandwidth between users and their digital content but also opens new modes of information exchange in immersive storytelling and virtual environments.

Bio:
Ali Israr (PhD) is a technology leader, inventor, and scientist with over 25 years of experience advancing Haptic Feedback Technologies across academia and industry. He has led research and product innovation teams at ByteDance (Pico Lab), Meta Reality Labs, and Disney Research, driving end-to-end development of hardware and software systems for immersive, assistive, educational, therapeutic, and entertainment applications. His work has focused on engineering core infrastructures, software tools, and interactive sensing technologies that expand the utility of haptic I/O in AR/MR environments. Dr. Israr has authored over 100 scientific publications, holds more than 30 patents, and earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.